Fly-trap.



W. s. WALLACE.

FLY TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1910.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

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ATTORNEY collumnm PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, n, c.

W. S. WALLACE.

FLY TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1910.

1,017,027. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

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UTTE TAT% WILLIAM SIMPSON WALLACE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF T0 CASPER O. DALIET, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

FLY-TRAP.

Application filed December 23, 1910.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction offly traps, and. to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient fly trap,adapted to hold a bait for attracting flies, and equipped with means forcaging the same, and permitting of the insects being easily destroyedwhen a sufficient number have been captured.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fly trap, constructedin accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, the scraper being shown inelevation. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the inner end of thecage, the scraper being arranged to close the opening thereof. Fig. 6 isa detail perspective view of the scraper. Fig. 7 is a detail view ofanother form of the bait drum.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, 1 designates a base, constructed of sheetmetal, or other suitable material, and provided at opposite sides withgrooves or ways 2, preferably formed by bending the sheet metaldownwardly to form depending supporting ribs or flanges 3 and then up-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 598,980.

wardly to a point above the plane of the body portion of the base andthen inwardly over the same to provide the said grooves or ways 2, whichare adapted to receive detachably a frame or casing 4 and a cage 5. Theframe or casing 4, which is also pref-- erably constructed of sheetmetal, comprises in its construction a horizontal bottom 6,

spaced parallel vertical sides, and a transversely disposed connectingrear portion 7, arranged horizontally and located at the inner or rearedges of the sides or walls of the casing, and arranged at a pointintermediate of the top and bottom thereof. The sheet metal is extendedoutwardly at the side edges of the bottom 6, and is then bent inwardlyon itself to provide horizontal laterally extending flanges 8, whichproject from the lower edges of the sides of the frame or casing andslidably fit in the grooves or ways 2 of the casing, whereby the frameor casing is retained thereon in interlocked relation therewith. Thesides of the casing are provided at their front edges with inclinedbearing slots 9, located at a point midway between the top and bottom ofthe frame or casing, and detachably receiving a horizontal shaft 10 of arotary polygonal bait carrying drum 11, provided at its periphery witheight concave bait receiving faces 12, but the number of bait receivingfaces may be varied and the drum may also be provided with straight baitreceiving faces 13, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The upperedges of the sides of the casing 4 are arcuate, and are curveddownwardly and rearwardly, and are provided at their inner faces withgrooves or ways 14, preferably consisting of separate strips of sheetmetal, and bent to form grooves or ways and suitably secured to theinner faces of the sides of the casing and extending downwardly andrearwardly to the upper face of the transverse connecting portion 7.These grooves or ways receive a transparent arcuate top wall 15,constructed of isinglass, or other suitable transparent material, andarranged above the rear or inner half of the drum and presenting aninner concave face to the same. The transverse edges or corners formedby the concave angularly related bait receiving faces 12 of theperiphery of the drum closely approach the inner face of the transparenttop wall 15 in the rotary movement of the drum, in order to confine theflies attracted by the bait on the drum in the spaces between theconcave faces and the said transparent wall, whereby the flies will beprevented from escaping and will be conveyed to and caused to enter thecage 5, which is equipped with a scraper 16 for removing the flies fromthe faces of the drum. The transverse edges of the transparent top wallare preferably reinforced by transverse binding strips 17, designed tobe either made of transparent material or be constructed as small aspossible and given a light color, in order to avoid frightening theflies from the drum as they pass beneath the transparent topwall. Thehorizontal rear connecting portion 7 of the casing extends from thelower edge of the transparent top wall to the cage and closes the casingand prevents the escape of the flies at that point.

The shaft 10 of the rotary drum is provided with a gear wheel 18,designed to mesh with a gear wheel of a spring motor, or other suitableactuating device (not shown), which is designed to impart to the drum arelatively slow rotary movement, whereby the flies will be carriedbeneath the transparent top wall and conveyed to the cage withoutdisturbing them. The periphery of the rotary drum may be supplied withany suitable bait for attracting flies to its peripheral faces, and itmay be readily removed from the frame or casing for cleaning it,applying bait thereto, or for any other purpose.

The cage 5, which is preferably rectangular, has walls 19 of woven wire,supported by a metallic frame-work, and the cage is provided at thebottom with laterally extending horizontal flanges 20, slidablyinterlocked with the grooves or ways 2 of the base and preferably formedby extending the sheet metal of the frame-work outwardly and bending itback on itself, as shown, but any other construction of flange may beemployed. The inner side or wall of the cage adjacent to the casing 1 isprovided at an intermediate point between the top and bottom of the cagewith a transverse opening 21, forming a fly inlet, and the said innerwall or cage is provided at the fly inlet with upper and lowertransverse flanges 22 I and 23. The upper flange 22, which is arrangedcontiguous to the horizontal transverse connecting portion 7, when theparts of the cage are assembled, extends downwardly and inwardly intothe cage and is adapted to form an abutment for the scraper 16, which ispivoted adjacent to the lower flange 23 by the transverse rod or pintle24:. The lower flange extends upwardly and inwardly and the scraper,which preferably consists of a rectangular piece of sheet metal, isprovided at one side of the center with a transverse bead or casing 25for the reception of the pintle rod 24:. The inner large portion of thescraper is heavier than the outer smaller portion, and is adapted toswing the scraper to the inclined position illustrated in Fig. 5 toclose the inlet automatically when the scraper is free to oscillate onits pivot to this extent. The combined scraper and closure is providedat its outer edge with a central projecting spacing lug 26, whichengages the periphery of the bait carrying drum and spaces the .outeredge of the scraper from the same to prevent the outer edge of thescraper from scraping the bait from the drum. The outer edge of thescraper is arranged sufficiently close to the periphery of the drum toscrape the flies therefrom and to cause the insects to enter the cage,and it prevents the flies from escaping at the bottom of the drum. Thescraper when in operative position with relation to the drum, asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is arranged in a horizontal orsubstantially horizontal position, and as the drum revolves it isadapted to oscillate on its pivot to permit the concave bait receivingfaces to pass its outer portion.

The cage is provided at a point below the pivot of the scraper with anoscillatory arm 27, connected with a suitable pivot 28 and operated byan exterior arm or handle 29. The pivot 28 pierces one of the side wallsof the cage, and the arm 27 is adapted to be sprung upward to supportthe scraper in a horizontal position to enable it to be maintained insuch open position, while the cage is being placed in position on thebase 1. After the cage is placed in position, the oscillatory arm 27 isswung downwardly out of the way so as to leave the scraper free, and theheavier or weighted inner portion thereof will maintain the lug 26 incontact with the rotary drum. Any suitable means may be provided forengaging the exterior operating arm or handle 29 to lock the arm 27 atany adjustment.

The cage is provided with a slidable top or cover 30 having its sideedges arranged in suitable grooves or ways 31 of the frame of the cageand provided with a suitable handle or pull 32, and adapted to be openedto afford access to the interior of the cage. When the cage is removedthe flies may be easily destroyed, and if desired a cage havingimperforate walls may be employed, and any suitable means may be placedwithin the cage for destroying the flies as they are captured.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trap of the class described including a casing open at the frontand composed of spaced sides having inclined upper edges, an inclinedtransparent top connecting the upper edges of the sides and extendingupwardly and forwardly from the top of the rear opening to the top ofthe front opening of the casing, a cage fitted against the easing at theback thereof and partially closing the rear opening of the same andhaving an opening communicating with the interior of the casing, arotary bait carrying drum mounted between the sides of the casing andadapted to carry insects from the front of the casing through the latterto the opening of the cage, and a scraper mounted at the lower portionof the rear opening of the casing to remove insects from the drum andforming a closure for the opening of the cage when the latter is removedfrom the casing.

2. A trap of the class described including a cage having an opening, abait carrying drum arranged to convey insects to the opening, and ascraper movably mounted at the opening and arranged to remove theinsects from the drum, said scraper being also movable to a positionacross the opening of the cage and forming a closure for the same.

3. A trap of the class described including a removable cage providedwith an entrance opening, a rotary bait carrying drum arranged adjacentto the opening of the cage, and a scraper pivot-ally mounted on the cageat the entrance opening thereof and adapted to scrape the insects fromthe drum and arranged to swing across the opening of the cage to form aclosure for the same when the cage is removed.

4. A trap of the class described including a removable cage providedwith an entrance opening, a rotary bait carrying drum arranged adjacentto the opening of the cage, and a scraper consisting of a plate pivotedat one side of the center to the cage and located at the entranceopening thereof and arranged to extend through the same, the innerport-ion of the scraper being heavier than the outer portion and adaptedto maintain the scraper in cooperative relation with the drum and toswing the scraper automatically to a position across the opening of thecage when the scraper is free to close.

5. A trap of the class described including a removable cage providedwith an entrance opening, a rotary bait carrying drum arranged adjacentto the opening of the cage, and a scraper consisting of a plate pivotedat one side of the center to the cage and located at the entranceopening thereof and arranged to extend through the same, the innerportion of the scraper being heavier than the outer portion and adaptedto maintain the scraper in cooperative relation with the drum and toswing the scraper automatically to a position across the opening of thecage when the scraper is free to close, and an operating device havingan arm or portion arranged to engage the weighted inner portion of thescraper to open the latter and to support the same in an open position.

6. A trap of the class described including a cage having an opening, arotary bait earrying drum arranged adjacent to the opening, a scraperpivotally mounted at the opening and extending through the same andadapted to scrape insects from the drum, said scraper having a weightedinner portion adapted to swing the lever across the opening of the cagewhen the scraper is free to close, and a pivoted operating device havinginner and outer arms, the inner arm being arranged to engage and openthe scraper and the outer arm forming an operating handle.

7. A trap of the class described including a rotary bait carrying drum,a cage provided adjacent to the drum with an opening and having inwardlyinclined flanges at the top and bottom of the opening, and a scraperpivotally mounted within the cage contiguous to the lower flange thereofand arranged to swing flat against the upper flange to form a closurefor the opening.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SIMPSON WALLACE.

Witnesses:

M. F. BEAULAC, I. T. PRYoR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

